David- He has a “Great Personality”

“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7

“They have a great personality.” What does that usually mean? When you are trying to get a friend to go out on a blind date and you open with those words, what does it mean? This has often been the joke amongst people to say that they are not the best looking, but they should really like who they are anyways. It is a heartfelt way of saying do not judge them based on looks but based on their heart.

Is this really the way that God is describing David? Don’t look at his appearance or stature or really anything about his outer appearance but instead look at his personality. Is David an odd-looking man? Or is there something else going on?

We have a tendency to judge people based on their outward appearance. We will decide whether we will talk to someone or even enter into conversation with someone based on their looks. It looks like that’s the way things have been for thousands of years. God identifies it when he says, “people look on the outward appearance…”

Have you allowed outward appearance to be a stumbling block in getting to know someone? Have you ever found out that your judgment was wrong?

I think it is interesting to see the big difference between the picking of Saul and David. Saul was the guy who was at least a head taller than everyone else. He was the strong, tall and handsome guy that everyone knew. And for a while he was a good choice as king over Israel. He quickly dropped off the charts when he was arrogant enough to make moves without God’s direction.

God knew that the decision for the next king had to based more on the heart, character, etc. God says I am not after any of that outward junk anymore, its time to base my decision based on substance. There is a stark contrast to the first two Israelite kings.

So if God is looking at the heart then what did David have in his that was desirable for service?

David is a humble shepherd boy with a quiet confidence in what has been given to him. He is growing up in an age when knowing God and following his ways are unimportant. But, he has been raised in a household that it has been made important. We see a culmination of all of this when he goes to the place where the Israelites are in a battle with the Philistines. He is not a full-time enlisted member of the army, but he stands up when the Philistines are insulting the God of Israel. He was willing to fight a giant of a man because it was a matter of principle.

Did he have that confidence because he was anointed or was it simply he was the man God made him to be? God prepared David to be the man he wanted him to be, even before he was ever made king. David was not perfect, even if he was called the man after God’s own heart. He was perfect for the job because God saw and used a willing heart. We don’t have to be perfect to be chosen by God. We need a heart that is open and ready for the opportunities that God places in front of us.

We may not be the best looking people but we can have a “great personality” ready to be used by God.

What is God currently preparing you for? Have your eyes been open to the multitude of possibilities?